Fluid-control lock for tanks



R. S. KLOPFENSTEIN.

FLUID CONTROL LOCK FOR TANKS.

APPLICATION FILED 1UL19, 1918.

Patented Apr. 26, 1921.

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R. S. KLOPFEIISTEIN. FLUID CONTROL L0 CK FOR TANKS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY I9. 1918- I 1,376,283, Patented Apr. 26, 1921'.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT S. KLOPFENSTEIN, GE 'WICHITA, KANSAS, ASSIGNOR '10 NATIONAL LOCK-IN- TANK COMPANY, OF VJICI-IITA, KANSAS, A CORPORATION.

FLUID-CONTROL LOCK FOR TANKS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 26, 1921.

Application filed July 19, 1918. Serial No. 245,790.

"t known that I, Eosnnr S. Knorrnnen the United States, residta, in the county of Sedgwick of Kansas, have invented new -mprovements in Fluid-Control anks, of which the following is lens t t an automobile from being used uthorized person. object of t eiuvention is to combine tank. a carbureter, and-a connection between the tank and the carburetor, a valve to control the assage of fuel through the connection,

casing in a the lock is incl'osed, said casing forming a part of said connection and causing the connection to be destroyed in the event that the lock is tampered with;

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved fluid control lock of this class which can be readily installed in the bottoinof a gasolene tank.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved lock operated fuel control valve embodying a movable valve element and a block in which said valve element is arranged, said block forming a part of the fuel connection and being provided with a tortuous passage which prevents the valve element from being operated by any agency other than the lock.

-lnother object of the invention is to provide an improved lock operated fuel control valve embodying a movable valve elem n-'5 and a block in which said valve element is arranged, said block forming a part of the fuel onnection between the tank and the carburetor and being adapted to be aranged in the bottom of the tank and havng an intake which is spaced above the botom or the tank so that the valve is preentetirom being choked with sediment.

lVith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of devices hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a lock operated fuel control valve embodying my invention and showing the casing in anks of automobiles to cut 05 the supwhich the same is installed as an auxiliary tank which forms a part of the fuel connection and which is attached to the tank of a vacuum feed apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view of the same, on a larger scale, and on a plane at right angles to that of Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a detail plan of the block and the needle valve or movable valve element.

Fig. 4 is an inverted plan of the lock mechanism which operates said needle valve.

Fig. 5 is a plan of the auxiliary tank and with the cover thereof removed.

Fig. 6 is an elevation of a modified embodiment of my invention in which the auxiliary tank is arranged directly as a part of the fuel connection between the gasolene tank and the carburetor.

The block 1, in which the fuel control needle valve 2 is arranged for operation, and to which the operating lock 3 is connected, is compact and substantially of'cylindrical form and is adapted to be readily installed in the bottom of a tank, it being necessary only to provide a comparatively small opening in the top of the tank and to enlarge the usual opening in the bottom of the tank sufliciently to receive the cylindrical plug 4 with which the block is provided, said plug being threaded to receive anut 5. The block has a cylindrical upper portion 6 to receive a lock 7 which is here shown as a tumbler lock, such as a Yale lock of well known construction and embodying a revoluble element 8 which can only be turned by means of a key which has been especially constructed for engagement by the various tumblers, the tumbler serving to lock said element against rotation excepti when they are arranged in released posib on by the insertion of the key. The block is also provided with a chamber 9 directly below the lock and the revoluble lock element 8 is provided with. a'tappet stud 10 attached eccentrically thereto and which extends down into said chamber 9. The block is also formed with enlargements 11, 12 on opposite sides and with a flange 13 to bear above the bottom of the tank. An inlet opening 14 leads from one sideof the block to the chamber 9 and is spaced above the bottom of the tank as shown. A vertical bore 15 is made partly through the stud 4: from the bottom thereof and has a threaded counterbore 16 at its lower end in which one end of the fuel supply pipe 17, which leads to the carbureter, is screwed. A conical valve seat 18 is provided for the pointed end of the needle valve and an inclined bore 19 leads from said valve seat to the bore 15.

Said bores l5, 19 form a tortuous pass through which the gasolene or other fuel can 'freely flow when the valve is in open position but said tortuous pass effectually prevents the valve from being opened by an instrument other than the lock, as a wire or the like which might be inserted upwardly,

valve o movable valve member 2 in firmly v closed position and so that it can be only moved to open position by operating the lock by means of the appropriate and especially constructed key.

Such a key is. indicated at 24 and the shank of the key is foldable and comprises members 25, 26, 27 which are pivotally connected together as at 28, 29. The outer member 2 7 has a handle 30 which projects from one side thereof. A tube 31 is attached to the top of the lock and extends therefrom to the top of the tank. The key is arranged in the tube, the latter serving to prevent the key from bending at the joints and to maintain the key in the required position. The upper end of the tube has a segmental recess 32 in which the handle oi the key operates, the ends of said reces serving to limit the'movement of the key.

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 1 the tank in which the lock operated fuel control valve is installed is an auxiliary tank 33: which forms a part of the connection between the gasolene tank and the carburetor and the said auxiliary tank is' arranged at one side of the tank 34 oi the vacuum feed apparatus, of well known construction. The auxiliary tank is con nected to the tank 34: by a nipple 35 which passes through the contiguous side walls of said tanks and has ahead 36 which bears against the inner side of the wall of the tank 33 and is threaded on that end which projects into the tank 34. A ring 37, oi hardened metal, which cannot be readily cut or sawed, is arranged around the nipple and betv-fcen the Walls of the tanks, 33, 3d and on the threaded inner end of the nipple is screwed a nut 38 which is also secured by means of a cotter pin 39 which passes through alining openings in the nipple and nut and. which can be arranged in place only when the top of the tank 34: has been removed. The upper end of the auxiliary tank is connected to the top of the tank 34: by a band 40 which passes around the tank 33 and the ends of which are secured on the top of the tank 3-1 by screws or'other suitable devices ll. It will be understood that the tank 33 cannot be disconnected from the tank 34 excepting by first removing the top oi? the tank 34c and this, owing to-the connections with said tank 3%, could not be done without so disabling the appa ratus as to prevent the operation of the car. A cover 42 is provided for the auxiliary tank, which is pivoted thereon as at 43, and, in practice, a suitable lock may be also provided for this cover. The said cover serves to cover and conceal the handle of the key when the latteris arranged in place in the lock. it will be understood that the needle valve can only be moved to open. position by the operating lever through the instrumentality of its key and that the needle valve is held in open position, against the tension of the spring 23 when the tappet 10 is at the dead center. Before the key can be removed from the lock the cylinder of the lock must be turned .a suiiicient distance to cause the tappet member 10 to release the head of the needle valve and thereupon the spring acts to close the needle valve and to hold the'same in closed position.

In Fig. 6 of the drawing 1 show another arrangement of my invention in which the vacuum feed apparatusis omitted and the auxiliary tank 33 is connected directly to the gasolene tank 44 by a pipe 45. A pipe 17 leads directly to the carburetor at from the stud of the block which is secured in the bottom of the auxiliary tank.

@ther modifications maybe made within the scope of my invention and changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the several parts, within the scope or the a pended claim.

Having thus claim;

In a fluid control lock, the combination a tank having an inlet and an outlet for fluid, a rectilinearly .movable, springpressed valve for controlling a passage in the tank intermediate said inlet and outlet, in the tank and embodying a revr is element actuatable by a key and provided with .a tappet stud eccentrically disposed to cooperate with the valve, a tube extending outwardly from the lock to a wall of the tank; said tube being adapted described my invention, ll

for the manipulation therein of the key i ROBERT S. KLOPFENSTEIN. 

